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Why is it that a little bit of gold detailing makes the world a prettier place? Take for example the sort of plain IKEA Rast Dresser. Good bones but lacking in something. With a little bit of gold hardware, white lacquer paint and a splash of gold leaf…Voila. Nightstand Perfection. And all for about $150. Boom. And check out our other Ikea Hacks here!

Fill the pre-drilled drawer pull holes in each of the three drawer fronts with wood filler. Let dry ½ hr and sand down until smooth.

Find the pieces for the top and and the kicker of the nightstand. Paint the front and sides of those pieces with adhesive size and let dry 10 minutes until tacky. Press on gold leaf until all sides are covered. Brush off excess gold leaf with dry brush and patch any holes in the gold leaf with more adhesive size and more gold leaf. Optional: spray on a clear gold leaf sealant for a more finished surface.

Paint all the remaining nightstand pieces with 2 coats of white primer and let dry.

Paint all the remaining nightstand pieces with 2 coats of white lacquer paint and let dry.

Line the brass corners with the outer edges of the drawer fronts and secure with screws. Recommended: Pre-drill holes in the center of each hole before drilling in the screws, as it can be tricky to keep the screws centered. Even one screw out of place can kick off the angle of the brass corner.

Center the handles on the drawer fronts (use a ruler to make sure they are dead center) and mark edges lightly with a pencil. Make sure the cut edge of the drawer front (on the back side) is on the bottom when placing the handle. These handles (like all campaign handles) are meant to be inset into the drawer, so you have two choices:
6a) Use a chisel to carve out the shape of the handle in the drawer, about ¼” deep so that the handle is flush with the drawer. Then screw the handle into the drawer. This option is time consuming, but gives a professional look.
or
6b) Attach the handles to the front and just have them stand out slightly from the drawer. Remove the screws from the back side of the handle and use gorilla glue to attach the back plate to the handle. Let dry, then glue the handle onto the drawer. Finally, secure the handle with screws.

Erase any pencil marks around the brass handles. Assemble the dresser according to Ikea’s instructions. Place in the bedroom for a dose of glam!